Standards-Based Curriculum

EHS faculty in the College of Engineering Technology build teaching modules

Using funding we received from the National Institute of Standards and Technology for Standards-Based Curriculum Across Risk Prevention Management System Domains: Health, Safety, Environmental & Community Sustainable Development, we have completed a comprehensive update of our curricula to reflect the latest application strategies.

Environmental, Health and Safety

Voluntary, consensus-based standards are becoming increasingly important for health, safety and environmental risk prevention and management, considering uneven regulation of EHS issues in global supply chains, and the increasing need to go beyond regulatory requirements to address interested party concerns related to health, safety, and environmental protection.

Community Sustainability

Municipalities are beginning to embrace sustainable design as a means to enhance community wellbeing and resilience, prevent adverse incidents, and respond swiftly and effectively to those that do occur in order to minimize unwanted social and environmental consequences. Voluntary sustainability standards offer a proactive, risk-based approach that bridges gaps between legal requirements and community expectations.

Standards are imperative for professional practice.

Standards are everywhere … everything grown, produced, manufactured, or traded is subject to certain standards.  Standards include laws and regulations, as well as other requirements, specifications, or expectations that need to be met for a product, service, or activity.    

From a proactive perspective, organizations need to not only comply with laws and regulations but are implementing consensus standards to address the expectations of their customers, their employees, and the community.   These standards provide a framework for responsible EHS management, to prevent, mitigate risk, and control adverse impacts on the environment and human health and safety and create community sustainability.  These standards shape how our society conducts itself, and how EHS professionals create value for society.

RIT’s BS in Environmental Sustainability Health and Safety and the MS in Environmental Health and Safety contain fundamental curricula in the application of standards to the practice of professional environmental, health, and safety and sustainability. We believe that the ability to move our processes in our facilities and communities beyond compliance on to continuous improvement relies upon a broad understanding of what it means to reach toward sustainable, earth and person centered operations and goals. We teach students how to apply these standards with a real world, applied focus, giving students the tools, techniques and capability to be an internal change agent for the greater good.  

It is more than what we do, it is who we are and what we create.

Module Template

This educational content was prepared by RIT under award 70NANB16H268 from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce.

The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Institute of Standards and Technology or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Environmental management systems
ISO 14001
Provides a framework for organizations to manage environmental responsibilities, enhance environmental performance, and maintain legal compliance

Occupational health and safety (OHS) management systems
ISO 45001
Provides a framework for organizations to improve health and safety performance and prevent injury and ill-health

Management systems for community sustainable development
ISO 37101
Provides a framework for improving the contribution of communities to sustainable development and enabling them to achieve their vision with regard to sustainability